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Susan B. Anthony List’s Anti-Choice Machine

Summary

Susan B. Anthony List has committed to spending at least $1.5 million on behalf of arch-conservative Virginia gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli, continuing its pattern of support for extreme politicians. Although it is named for the nineteenth-century feminist pioneer, SBA List has little to do with championing the rights of women and everything to do with ending women’s access to abortion, mostly by supporting candidates who are fiercely opposed to reproductive health choices.

Using the 2013 Virginia election as a “proving ground” in advance of 2014’s midterm elections, SBA List is testing out electoral strategies that will further President Marjorie Dannenfelser’s vision of an anti-choice “political machine” as impossible to ignore as the National Rifle Association. An ad in April from the SBA List targeting Cuccinelli’s Democratic opponent, Terry McAuliffe, was the first paid advertising of the race. Beyond its efforts in Virginia, SBA List has pledged to focus its upcoming efforts on 12 key states, eight of which will host field offices pursuing electoral and legislative goals.

In addition to backing extreme candidates like Todd Akin, who infamously claimed that women are unlikely get pregnant from “legitimate rape” because their bodies have mysterious ways to “shut that whole thing down,” SBA List supports policies in line with its leaders’ radical perspectives on birth control and sex. Instead of endorsing preventive measures that could reduce the need for abortions, Dannenfelser has illogically argued that “contraception and family planning” are responsible for increasing the number of abortions. “The bottom line,” she has said, “is that to lose the connection between sex and having children leads to problems.”

Led by several lifelong culture warriors, SBA List and its connected organizations pour their resources into electing far-right candidates, many of whom not only oppose abortion even in cases of rape and incest but also have disturbing records on everything from women’s issues to LGBT rights. Much of SBA List’s funding is murky, but what is known paints a clear picture of the group’s radical agenda. In addition to $1 million from the secretive Center to Protect Patient Rights, SBA List and its affiliates have received contributions from the anti-gay Family Research Council and GOP mega-donor Harold Simmons.

Highlights

The Worst Anti-Choice Rhetoric From SBA List Officials

SBA List president on sex: “The bottom line is that to lose the connection between sex and having children leads to problems.”

SBA List president on the impact of birth control: “Every year that contraception and family planning increases, the abortion rate also increases in direct proportion – not inverse. This is an undeniable fact.”

SBA List president on Virginia’s mandatory transvaginal ultrasound bill: “Really, this is a matter of giving a woman more information that she needs to make a decision that’s fully informed.”

SBA List president on services provided by Planned Parenthood: “This brings Planned Parenthood’s death toll to nearly 1 million during the last three years.”

Lozier Institute president on defunding Planned Parenthood: “The cut is overdue, and it will benefit American women and their children.”

SBA List president on Todd Akin and “legitimate rape”: “Congressman Akin has been an excellent partner in the fight for the unborn.”

SBA List president on Richard Mourdock’s rape comments: “Richard Mourdock said that life is always a gift from God, and we couldn’t agree more.”

Background

SBA List Was Founded In 1992 To Elect Pro-Life Women And Compete With Emily’s List. According to its website, “From our beginning, the SBA List has been led by our president and board chairman, Marjorie Dannenfelser, and our general chairman, Jane Abraham. During the ‘Year of the Woman’ in 1992, when the pro-abortion EMILY’s List PAC rose to power, Marjorie and Jane recognized the uphill battle we faced with only two pro-life women leaders in Congress. They vowed to level the playing field by creating a full program to encourage and elect more women as pro-life candidates for national office. That year, the Susan B. Anthony List PAC was born and its focus was to raise early money for pro-life women candidates. The goal was to not only give direct support to candidates, but raise money from our members for the endorsed candidates in the form of bundled checks. Members were asked to contribute to at least two candidates, making the checks payable directly to campaigns of their choice. The checks were mailed to the SBA List PAC, then bundled and mailed to the campaigns. In 1997, the Susan B. Anthony List was reorganized as a 501(c)(4) membership organization with a connected political action committee (the SBA List Candidate Fund).” [SBA-List.org, accessed 4/22/13]

SBA List Aims To “Reduce And Ultimately End Abortion.” According to its website, “The Susan B. Anthony List, and its connected Political Action Committee, the SBA List Candidate Fund, are dedicated to electing candidates and pursuing policies that will reduce and ultimately end abortion. To that end, the SBA List will emphasize the election, education, promotion, and mobilization of pro-life women.” [SBA-List.org, accessed 4/19/13]

SBA List Has A “Six Point Mission.” According to its website, “The SBA List’s Six Point Mission” is to: “1. Elect pro-life women or pro-life men who oppose pro-abortion women to Congress through our SBA List Candidate Fund. 2. Educate voters on critical pro-life issues and on upcoming legislation. 3. Train and equip pro-life activists nationwide to run successful political and grassroots campaigns. 4. Promote positive responses in both traditional and new media to dispel the myths and distortions of the abortion lobby. 5. Advocate passage of pro-life legislation in Congress, directly with legislators and through mobilizing direct citizen lobbying. 6. Connectlegislative and electoral consequences through our Votes Have Consequences Program.” [SBA-List.org, accessed 4/19/13]

SBA List’s Legislative Priorities: “Defunding Planned Parenthood,” “Ending All Federal Funding Of Abortion.” According to its website, “SBA List has two main legislative priorities: ending all federal funding of abortion and ending taxpayer funding to Planned Parenthood.” The “Pro-Life Legislation” section of the website includes individual pages for “Defunding Planned Parenthood” and “H.R. 3 No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.” [SBA-List.org, accessed 4/18/13]

SBA List Hired A Lobbyist For The First Time To Support Defunding Of Planned Parenthood. According to The Hill, “The Susan B. Anthony List recently hired a lobbyist to keep the pressure on lawmakers to strip Planned Parenthood of federal funding, lobbying records show. The anti-abortion group hired Brian Duggan during the spring recess, lobbying records show, suggesting that the group hopes such legislation can pass. It did not immediately return a call for comment. The House voted largely along party lines, 240-185, to defund Planned Parenthood in February. The Senate rejected the measure, 42-58, just before the spring recess. […] Planned Parenthood is barred from using the more than $75 million it gets every year from the federal government to provide abortions. The organization says 90 percent of the care it provides to 3 million women every year is preventive. This is the first time the Susan B. Anthony List has hired a lobbyist, according to records.” [The Hill, 5/3/11].

SBA List Network Comprises Five Connected Organizations With A Combined Budget Of $7 Million. According to a donor letter from Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser, “Today, we have four organizations allied with the Susan B. Anthony List, including the Women Speak out PAC, the SBA List Candidate Fund, the SBA List Legal Defense Fund and the Charlotte Lozier Institute, all of which play different and vital roles. The SBA List’s budget remains by far the largest. But the combined budget for all our allied organizations is just over $7,000,000. [Dannenfelser Letter, 5/8/13]

SBA List President Wants To Establish A “Political Machine” Like The NRA. According to Mother Jones, “The group’s mission, [SBA List president Marjorie] Dannenfelser says, has been to make itself as hard to ignore as the gun rights lobby or unions. ‘When we started about 20 years ago, you would not put the pro-life movement and the NRA in the same category. You just wouldn’t,’ she says. ‘For us, it’s the issue that deserves a political machine more than any other. That’s been my goal—to make this issue, which is so fundamental, have the strongest political arm they could possibly have. That’s the direction I see this heading in.’” [Mother Jones, 2/22/12]

Key Players

Marjorie Dannenfelser, President

Marjorie Dannenfelser Is President Of SBA List. According to her bio on the SBA List website, “Marjorie Dannenfelser, an original organizer of the Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List), is the organization’s President. In this role, Marjorie directs the mission of SBA List and serves as its primary spokeswoman. […] Marjorie was recently named one of Newsweek’s top ten ‘Leaders of the Christian Right.’ She serves on the boards of the Alliance Defense Fund, Constituting Culture Foundation and Chosen Families, a ministry to families who have special needs children. Prior to launching the Susan B. Anthony List, Marjorie served on Capitol Hill as staff director of the Congressional Pro-life Caucus. Prior to her work on Capitol Hill, she worked at the Heritage Foundation. She is originally from North Carolina and is a graduate of Duke University. Marjorie lives in Arlington, Virginia with her husband Marty and their five children, ages 12-21.” [SBA-List.org, accessed 4/22/13]

Dannenfelser Suggested That “Contraception And Family Planning” Are Responsible For Increasing Number Of Abortions. According to SBA List president Marjorie Dannenfelser’s remarks at the 2011 Faith and Freedom Conference, “We are being asked to fund the number one abortion provider in the nation, an organization that says that to reduce abortions we need to increase contraception more and more and more every year, when the track record shows that there’s an inverse relation. Every year that contraception and family planning increases, the abortion rate also increases in direct proportion – not inverse. This is an undeniable fact. It happens every year.” [Dannenfelser Remarks via Faith In Public Life, 6/8/11]

Dannenfelser: “To Lose The Connection Between Sex And Having Children Leads To Problems.” According to SBA List president Marjorie Dannenfelser, in an interview at the 2011 Faith and Freedom Conference, “The argument has been you cut Planned Parenthood, you increase the abortion rate, when in reality you increase all that exponentially and human behavior starts to change. […] There are a lot of underlying reasons why there is that relationship. The bottom line is that to lose the connection between sex and having children leads to problems.” [Dannenfelser Remarks via Faith In Public Life, 6/8/11]

Dannenfelser Bemoaned “Ideology Of Reproductive Health Care.” According to the Catholic News Agency, “[SBA List president Marjorie] Dannenfelser told CNA on Feb. 27 that although those who oppose the Obama administration’s contraception mandate have been depicted as oppressive to women’s interests, many women in America actually object to the federal rule. But those who support the rule have argued that women have a right to contraception without cost and have portrayed those who oppose it as being anti-woman. […] ‘For years, ‘Who decides?’ was the favorite incantation from the feminist movement,’ she said. While the question dodges the central issue on the topic of abortion, she explained, it is relevant to the current debate. ‘‘Who decides’ which is more fundamental: religious freedom or an ideology of reproductive health care?’ she asked.” [Catholic News Agency, 2/28/12]

Dannenfelser Called Planned Parenthood “America’s Largest Abortion Business” And Claimed Its “Death Toll” Was “Nearly 1 Million During The Last Three Years.” According to the Washington Times, Dannenfelser wrote in an editorial, “Planned Parenthood — America’s largest abortion business — has spent much of the last few years demanding that government add millions more in taxpayer dollars to their coffers, citing their nonprofit status and so-called focus on women’s health. They haven’t been disappointed. In 2011, government subsidies to Planned Parenthood reached an all-time high, with the abortion provider receiving a whopping $542 million in taxpayer funding — all while ending a record number of lives — 333,964. This brings Planned Parenthood’s death toll to nearly 1 million during the last three years.” [Washington Times, 1/22/13]

Dannefelser: “Majority Of Women” Support Virginia’s Mandatory Transvaginal Ultrasound Bill Because “They Believe … More Information Is Better.” When Chris Matthews questioned Dannenfelser about a bill in Virginia effectively requiring women to undergo transvaginal ultrasounds before obtaining an abortion, Dannenfelser stated, “Really, this is a matter of giving a woman more information that she needs to make a decision that’s fully informed. […] The reason the majority of women in Virginia and across the country support this is that they believe in that vulnerable spot in a very difficult place, that more information is better. And making — there are two decisions to make. One decision is a medical decision. One is about the very contentious, very difficult decision about what is actually happening in an abortion. And that ultrasound speaks to that. It’s science. It’s a scientific opinion backing up a medical reality. And a moral –” Dannenfelser was cut off before completing her sentence. [MSNBC’s Hardball, 2/22/12]

Marilyn Musgrave, Vice President of Government Affairs

Former Rep. Marilyn Musgrave Is SBA List’s Vice President Of Government Affairs. According to her bio on the SBA List website, “After working hard as a volunteer for the campaigns of conservative candidates through the years, [Musgrave] ran for the Colorado House in 1994 and won the primary; then went on to unseat a two term Democrat in the general. She served two terms in the House and one term in the Colorado Senate before running for the United States House in 2002. She served three terms representing the 4th District. In the Colorado Legislature Marilyn was a champion for the sanctity of human life, lower taxes, gun rights, and traditional marriage. She continued her fight to defend these values for her six years in Congress. Mrs. Musgrave became a prime target of abortion advocates and was defeated [in 2008] after they spent millions of dollars to accomplish their goal. The good news is that she is still in the fight, currently working as the Vice President of Government Affairs for the Susan B. Anthony List.” [Musgrave Bio, accessed 4/19/13]

Musgrave Introduced Federal Marriage Amendment In 2003. In the 108th Congress, Rep. Marilyn Musgrave introduced H.J. Res. 56, “an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to marriage,” which proposed, “Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution or the constitution of any State, nor state or federal law, shall be construed to require that marital status or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon unmarried couples or groups.” [Thomas.LOC.gov, accessed 4/19/13]

Musgrave Claimed That “Traditional Values That Americans Hold Are Being Traded In For Counterfeit Marital Unions.” According to the Washington Post, “The Federal Marriage Amendment, introduced May 21, is sponsored by Republican Reps. Marilyn Musgrave of Colorado, Jo Ann Davis of Virginia and David Vitter of Louisiana, and Democratic Reps. Ralph M. Hall of Texas, Collin C. Peterson of Minnesota and Mike McIntyre of North Carolina. Several of these members co-sponsored the bill last year. ‘Marriage and family are the most important institutions in existence. Unfortunately, they have come under attack,’ said Mrs. Musgrave. ‘The traditional values Americans hold are being traded in for counterfeit marital unions. It is important to secure this institution and protect it from distortion.’” [Washington Post, 5/26/03]

Musgrave Warned That Same-Sex Marriage Could Lead To “Polygamy Or Group Marriage.” According to ABC News, “Musgrave thinks her proposed amendment might not stop at gay marriage. ‘I really think that if we redefined marriage, if we blur those lines of the definition of marriage that the next step is polygamy or group marriage.’” [ABC News, 2/27/04]

In 2006, Musgrave Called “The Marriage Issue” The Most Important National Concern. According to The Coloradoan, “Protecting traditional marriage is the most important issue Americans face today, Rep. Marilyn Musgrave said Friday, as she called on social conservatives to support candidates like herself who oppose same-sex marriages. Speaking at the Family Research Council’s 2006 Values Voter Summit, Musgrave, a Fort Morgan Republican, said she agrees with those who say legalized gay marriage would destroy religious freedoms. These critics contend social conservatives would be ostracized if opposition to gay civil marriage becomes a form of bigotry. They add that social conservatives could lose their jobs if they refused to recognize same-sex marriages in the work place, religious radio stations could lose their broadcast licenses and churches could lose their tax-exempt status. ‘As we face the issues that we are facing today, I don’t think there’s anything more important out there than the marriage issue,’ Musgrave told an enthusiastic crowd.” [The Coloradoan, 9/23/06]

In Colorado, Musgrave Opposed Adoption By Same-Sex Couples, Pushed For Concealed-Carry Handgun Law. According to the Boston Globe, “Musgrave first began pushing for a ban on gay marriage nearly a decade ago. Governor Roy Romer, a Democrat, rejected her efforts twice. Then moderate Republicans blocked her bill when Republican Bill Owens replaced Romer. In 2000, she and conservative House colleagues got the bill to the desk of Owens, who signed it. Along the way, she has voted against abortion rights and adoption by same-sex parents. She has also sought to pass a concealed-handgun law that would have allowed guns in public places, including schools. The measure failed in the wake of the 1999 shooting deaths at Columbine High School.” [Boston Globe, 4/11/04]

Musgrave Voted Against The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. According to the New York Times, “Lilly M. Ledbetter discovered when she was nearing retirement that her male colleagues were earning much more than she was. A jury found her employer, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company plant in Gadsden, Ala., guilty of pay discrimination, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. But in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court threw out the case, ruling that she should have filed her suit within 180 days of the date that Goodyear first paid her less than her peers. The narrow majority rejected the argument that each subsequent discriminatory paycheck was a new violation of the law. Courts around the country cited the decision hundreds of times as a reason for rejecting lawsuits claiming discrimination based on race, sex, age and disability, without regard to the underlying merits of the individual cases. On Jan. 29, 2009, President Barack Obama affixed his signature to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, his first official bill as president. The legislation expanded workers’ rights to sue in this kind of case, and relaxed the statute of limitations, restarting the six-month clock every time the worker receives a paycheck.” Musgrave voted against the 2007 version of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. [NYTimes.com, accessed 3/29/12; H.R. 2831, Vote #768, 7/31/07]

Jane Abraham, Chairman

Longtime Republican Activist Jane Abraham Is Chairman Of The Board Of SBA List. The SBA List website identifies Jane Abraham as the group’s Chairman of the Board. According to her bio, “Jane Abraham has a lifetime of experience in national affairs and politics. She attended Oakland University in Michigan, graduating in 1981 at age 19. In addition to attaining academic honors at Oakland, Abraham was President of the student government in her senior year. After college, Jane held a number of senior positions with the Michigan Republican Party, the Republican National Committee, as well as the Michigan State Senate. Her assignments included serving as the national party’s liaison to state and local government and overseeing grassroots growth at local, state and national levels. She is married to Spencer Abraham, former U.S. Senator from Michigan (1995-2001) and former Secretary of Energy (2001-2005) under President George W. Bush. In 2002, Jane founded her own consulting ﬁrm, Abraham Strategies. She has serve[d] as Vice Chairman, Michigan Republican Party, since 2006.” [SBA-List.org, accessed 4/19/13]

Abraham Serves On The Board Of Susan G. Komen For The Cure. According to her bio on the Susan G. Komen for the Cure website, “Jane Abraham was elected to Komen’s Board of Directors on May 31, 2012, after serving as an interim board member and as a member of the Komen Advocacy Alliance Board of Directors. The wife of former Senator and U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham, she has long been a breast cancer advocate, having actively participated for a number of years in both the annual Komen Global Race for the Cure in Washington, D.C., and Race for the Cure events in her home state of Michigan. She serves on the boards of the Detroit-based Covenant House Michigan, the Arab American National Museum, The Nurturing Network and is General Chairman of the Susan B. Anthony List. Abraham is president of Abraham Strategies LLC., which handles strategic marketing assignments for a variety of clients.” [Komen.org, accessed 4/22/13]

Abraham Serves On The Board Of The Nurturing Network. The Nurturing Network’s 2011 IRS Form 990 lists Jane Abraham as a trustee. [NurturingNetwork.org, accessed 4/22/13; IRS Form 990, 2011]

The Nurturing Network “Responds To The Urgent And Comprehensive Needs Of Any Woman Facing The Life-Altering Crisis Of An Unplanned Pregnancy.” According to its mission statement, “The Nurturing Network is an international 501(c)3 charitable organization that responds to the urgent and comprehensive needs of any woman facing the life-altering crisis of an unplanned pregnancy. Founded twenty-eight years ago by Mary Cunningham Agee, a former Wall Street banker and top management Strategic Planning executive for two Fortune 100 companies, TNN has served 24,000 women at the most vulnerable time in their life. By mobilizing the talent and energy of over 50,000 volunteer Resource Members in all fifty states and 30 foreign countries, Ms. Agee has demonstrated that there exists a vast common ground on which all sides can agree and move beyond political differences in order to provide practical compassion to women and children at risk.” [NurturingNetwork.org, accessed 4/19/13]

Founder Agee: Women Are Given “A Positive Alternative To Abortion.” According to a statement signed by The Nurturing Network Founder Mary Cunningham Agee, “Since our founding, we have provided a positive alternative to abortion to 24,000 women by offering each mother an individually-tailored program of support free of charge.” [NurturingNetwork.org, accessed 4/19/13]

The Nurturing Network “Serves Over 2400 Crisis Pregnancy Centers.” According to its website, “Collaboration is a key component of TNN’s client support program. The Network’s website – www.nurturingnetwork.org – serves over 2400 local crisis pregnancy centers and hundreds of faith-based initiatives nationwide.” [NurturingNetwork.org, accessed 4/19/13]

Chuck Donovan, President, The Charlotte Lozier Institute

Chuck Donovan Is President Of Susan B. Anthony List’s Education And Policy Arm, The Charlotte Lozier Institute. According to the Charlotte Lozier Institute website, “Charles A. ‘Chuck’ Donovan is the President of the Charlotte Lozier Institute.” The Charlotte Lozier Institute is “the education and research arm of the Susan B. Anthony List.” [LozierInstitute.org, accessed 4/22/13]

Donovan Has An Extensive History With Extreme Right-Wing Organization Like The Family Research Council. According to Donovan’s bio on Susan B. Anthony List’s website, “He served as Legislative Director of the National Right to Life Committee more than three decades ago, worked asa writer for President Reagan, helped to lead the Family Research Council for nearly two decades and most recently has been Senior Research Fellow in Religion and Civil Society at The Heritage Foundation.” [SBA-List.org, accessed 4/22/13]

The Family Research Council Has Been Designated A Hate Group By The Southern Poverty Law Center. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, “Based on the foregoing and other evidence, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) last year began listing the FRC and the AFA as hate groups. The listings, as was said at the time, were based on the groups’ use of known falsehoods to attack and demonize members of the LGBT community — not, as some have gratuitously claimed, because the groups are Christian, or because they oppose same-sex marriage, or because they believe the Bible describes homosexuality as a sin.” [Southern Poverty Law Center, October 2011]

Donovan: Cutting Planned Parenthood Funding “Will Benefit American Women And Their Children.” According to a post by Chuck Donovan on the Heritage Foundation’s website, “Sometime soon—either in the continuing resolution now pending in Congress or the next—the Planned Parenthood Federation of America will have to accept a cut in federal funding. The cut is overdue, and it will benefit American women and their children. […] Will women’s health suffer because of the funding limits Rep. Mike Pence and 239 of his House colleagues have adopted? Highly unlikely. In addition to being over-funded and therefore much more capable of belt-tightening than most charities, Planned Parenthood is not the sole provider of any of the legitimate services it offers. It provides little prenatal care and next to no adoption assistance, and does not, despite impressions to the contrary, offer mammograms. Public health departments and free clinics (and even a growing number of pro-life pregnancy care centers) perform low- or no-cost STD testing, and they routinely refer women for other screenings and services they do not provide directly. Over the long term, real health care reform will move toward honoring the dignity of poor women by giving them options to own their health care policies and by continuing the popular and well-established policy against tax-subsidized abortions. And that will be something to celebrate at least 1,000 times a day.” [Heritage.org, 3/18/11]

Donovan: Declining To Defend DOMA “Essentially Equates Proponents Of DOMA With Irrational Bigots.” According to a post by Chuck Donovan on the Heritage Foundation’s website, “Even more offensive is the fact that, while serving up this legal surrender, the President and his team are slandering millions of Americans who clearly disagree with redefining marriage. The Justice Department is arguing a legal standard, asserting that there is no rational basis for traditional marriage. This essentially equates proponents of DOMA with irrational bigots. It’s slander – and slander with the odd effect of charging President Obama with bigotry for the view he claims still to hold (though one suspects he is ‘evolving’).” [Heritage.org, 3/2/11]

Plan For 2013

Promote An Anti-Choice Agenda In The States And Use Virginia To Practice For Future Election Cycles

SBA List Is Targeting “12 Strategic States” For Legislative And Grassroots Action. According to a donor letter from Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser, “In 2011 and 2012, 131 pro-life state laws were passed and signed into law. 2013 has seen a flurry of new pro-life laws enacted, as well. But we’ve identified 12 strategic states where we believe the SBA List can advance the pro-life cause even further. In eight of these states, we’re ready to launch field offices if we can raise the resources we need.” [Dannenfelser Letter, 5/8/13]

SBA List Is Using Virginia As “A Proving Ground” For 2014 Electoral Efforts. According to SBA List’s business plan for 2013, “New Jersey and Virginia hold off-year elections for their governors and state legislatures. Virginia will be hotly contested – a proving ground for our messaging training, and voter mobilization effort. […] The drama over abortion will play out in just two key states in 2013, but in many more in 2014 when 33 U.S. Senators are up for re-election. Of these 33 only a third have voted consistently for Life (though a number have announced their intentions to retire and there will be open seats. What we make of this opportunity might well be forecast by the progress we make in messaging in Virginia’s off-year elections.” [Susan B. Anthony List, Business Plan 2013]

SBA List Declared Virginia A “Priority State For 2013.” According to SBA List’s business plan for 2013, “We have made Virginia a priority state for 2013. We propose a massive investment there, seeking to make 2013 a template for wider victories in the mid-term elections in 2014.” [Susan B. Anthony List, Business Plan 2013]

SBA List Endorsed Ken Cuccinelli For Governor And Committed $1.5 Million To The Race. According to the Washington Post, “The Susan B. Anthony List announced an initial commitment of $1.5 million Thursday to likely GOP nominee Ken Cuccinelli II, calling the contest ‘a top priority’ for the group. In endorsing the attorney general, President Marjorie Dannenfelser cited his record of ‘fighting exploitation of the most vulnerable’ as ‘an extension of who he is.’” [Washington Post, 2/28/13]

Women Speak Out PAC Launched First Ad Of The Campaign In April. According to Politico, “The anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List is targeting Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe in new radio ad out today — the first paid advertising so far on behalf of either candidate. […] The $50,000 radio buy will air the next two weeks in the northern Virginia, Richmond and Norfolk media markets. It’s a small buy, but a sign of what’s to come in the race: SBA List has pledged to spend $1.5 million on behalf of GOP Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s campaign. The ad is paid for by Women Speak Out Virginia PAC, a political arm of SBA List. Cuccinelli attended an SBA List summit earlier this month.” [Politico, 4/23/13]

New SBA List Training Program “Project Lifeline” Will Prepare Candidates For “Trick Questions.” According to SBA List’s business plan for 2013, “SBA List does not accept the dire predictions promoted by hostile media and pro-abortion advocates that the pro-life message is a losing message. But we are foolish if we learn no lessons. Before the off-year elections in 2013 have played out, and well before the 2014 national midterms, we will have in place and execute a well-designed multi-pronged plan to improve the knowledge and communications skills of state and federal candidates across the full range of Life issues (as well as some perennial ‘trick questions’ that come up on other topics). This is Project Lifeline.” [Susan B. Anthony List, Business Plan 2013]

“Project Lifeline” Will Include Online Training And Individual Practice Sessions Before A “Murder Board.” According to SBA List’s business plan for 2013, “The written word can accomplish a great deal but training on everything from messaging, to polling, to facing hostile press conferences can accomplish so much more. It is far better to identify problems before a pro-life ‘murder board’ than to practice for the first time on Meet the Press or in a televised debate.” The program includes online training, as well as “one-on-one training, video training, and a ‘murder board’ where the candidate will face an intense grilling.” [Susan B. Anthony List, Business Plan 2013]

Previous Election Spending And Partisan Activities

2012 Election Cycle

SBA List Spent Exclusively On Behalf Of Republican Candidates In 2012. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, in the 2012 election cycle, the Susan B. Anthony List spent $1,212,638 to oppose Democratic candidates and $757,279 to support Republican candidates. The group spent $0 to oppose Republicans or support Democrats. [Center for Responsive Politics, accessed 4/18/13]

SBA List “Has Supported Only One Sitting Democrat In Congress In Recent Years” And Even “Targeted Pro-Life Democrats.” According to Mother Jones, “The group has supported only one sitting Democrat in Congress in recent years—Rep. Dan Lipinski of Illinois—and has formally endorsed only two Democratic candidates for a federal election since 2003. In 2010, the SBA List specifically targeted pro-life Democrats who had voted for the health care reform law, which foes claimed provided taxpayer funding for abortions. The group ran ads against 20 pro-life Dems, and claimed credit for defeating 15 of them. It was the first time the group had actively campaigned against anyone—let alone politicians who shared the group’s views on abortion. [Mother Jones, 2/22/12]

SBA List Cosponsored RNC Chairman Debate With Americans For Tax Reform And The Daily Caller. According to Politico, “The anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List will co-host a debate for the upcoming race for the next Republican National Committee chairmanship, the group announced Monday. The group is co-hosting the forum with Americans for Tax Reform, which has run previous RNC debates. The Jan. 3 debate will take place shortly before committee members vote for the party’s next leader.” The Daily Caller was also a cosponsor of the debate. [Politico, 12/7/10; CNN.com, 1/3/11]

SBA List Introduced Pro-Life Pledge In 2012 GOP Presidential Primary. According to ABC News, the SBA List’s presidential pledge included the following principles: “One, only nominate to the U.S. Supreme Court and federal bench judges who are committed to restraint and applying the original meaning of the Constitution, not legislating from the bench”; “Two, select pro-life appointees for relevant Cabinet and Executive Branch positions, in particular the head of National Institutes of Health, the Department of Health & Human Services, and the Department of Justice”; “Three, advance pro-life legislation to permanently end all taxpayer funding of abortion in all domestic and international spending programs, and defund Planned Parenthood and all other contractors and recipients of federal funds with affiliates that perform or fund abortions”; and “Four, advance and sign into law a Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act to protect unborn children who are capable of feeling pain from abortion.” [ABC News, 6/18/11]

Romney Refused To Sign Pledge, Warned Of “Unintended Consequences” Such As Defunding “Thousands Of Hospitals Across America.” According to Politico, “Mitt Romney, who’s leading in national and early state opinion polls, declined to sign. ‘Governor Romney pledged in the last campaign that he would be a pro-life president and of course he pledges it today,’ said spokeswoman Andrea Saul in a statement. ‘However, this well-intentioned effort has some potentially unforeseen consequences and he does not feel he could in good conscience sign it.’ Moving quickly to explain his position, Romney published an essay Saturday on the National Review website stressing his commitment to fostering ‘a culture of life in America’ but calling the SBA pledge ‘overly broad.’ ‘It is one thing to end federal funding for an organization like Planned Parenthood; it is entirely another to end all federal funding for thousands of hospitals across America,’ he wrote. ‘That is precisely what the pledge would demand and require of a president who signed it.’” [Politico, 6/17/11]

SBA List Endorsed Rick Santorum In 2012 GOP Presidential Primary. According to a press release announcing the “First-ever Endorsement for Group in GOP Presidential Primary,” “Today the Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List), a national pro-life organization, announced its endorsement of Rick Santorum in the Republican presidential primary. ‘Among the field of strong pro-life candidates in the GOP primary, one stands out as a proven leader in this great human and civil rights cause of our time. Rick Santorum communicates the vision and has exhibited the strategic and tactical prowess the pro-life movement must have in order to succeed. Women and children deserve his leadership, grounded as it is in affirming the dignity of every person. ‘At this inflection point in the primary process and a tipping point in history on the abortion issue, the Susan B. Anthony List endorses Rick Santorum for the Republican nomination for President,’ said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA List.” [SBA List Press Release, 2/17/12]

SBA List Endorsed Mitt Romney After Santorum Dropped Out. According to the Washington Times, “The Susan B. Anthony List threw its support behind Mr. Romney in a morning news release and National Right-to-Life, the nation’s oldest and largest pro-life organization, followed suit with a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington. ‘Now is the time to unite behind Gov. Romney in order to defeat the most ideologically pro-abortion president in our nation’s history,’ said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List. She added that her group plans to spend $10 million to $12 million in Senate and presidential battleground states ‘mobilizing pro-life voters to ensure victory.’ The group had endorsed Rick Santorum’s president bid in February, but the former Pennsylvania senator dropped out of the race this week, prompting the group to swing its support behind Mr. Romney, who says he has moved from pro-choice to pro-life over the course of his political career.” [Washington Times, 4/12/12]

SBA List Endorsement Cited Romney’s Commitment To Defunding Planned Parenthood And Appointing “Only Constitutionalist Judges.” According to the press release announcing SBA List’s endorsement of Mitt Romney, “‘The difference between Governor Romney and President Obama couldn’t be clearer, which is why our Board of Directors voted unanimously to get behind him,’ said Jane Abraham, Chairman of the SBA List Board of Directors.‘It is the responsibility of all pro-life voters to now unite behind Governor Romney. Together we can put a pro-life leader in the White House.’ Previously, Governor Mitt Romney has pledged to defund Planned Parenthood, restore the Mexico City Policy, support legislation to ban abortions based on fetal pain, and appoint only constitutionalist judges to the federal bench. Governor Romney has also committed to selecting a pro-life vice president.” [SBA List Press Release, 4/12/12]

SBA List Sponsored “Women Speaking Out: Abortion Is Not Health Care” Bus Tour In August 2012. According to a press release, “Today, the Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) announced a five state ‘Women Speak Out: Abortion is Not Health Care’ bus tour through swing states, August 20 to 30. […] The bus tour will travel to 30 cities throughout the key swing states of Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio, Virginia, andFlorida.National and local pro-life women leaders will call for the defeat of President Obama and pro-abortion House and Senate candidates includingChristie Vilsack (IA), Tammy Baldwin (WI), Sherrod Brown (OH), Tim Kaine (VA), and Bill Nelson (FL).” [SBA List Press Release, 8/13/12]

SBA List Joined “Life And Marriage Coalition” That Formed In August 2012. According to Right Wing Watch, “A number of Religious Right organizations are coming together for an election season coalition to attack President Obama in swing states. The Family Research Council, National Organization for Marriage, The Family Leader, Concerned Women for America, American Principles Project, the Susan B. Anthony List and Common Sense Issues have joined the ‘Life and Marriage Coalition,’ which FRC head Tony Perkins said is needed to defeat Obama’s ‘anti-marriage and anti-life policies.’” [Right Wing Watch, 8/28/12]

Dannenfelser Statement On Coalition: “If We Value Marriage And Want To Stop Government Funding Of Abortion Groups, We Must Defeat Barack Obama.” According to a Life and Marriage Coalition press release, “A coalition of the nation’s most prominent conservative social issue groups (www.lifeandmarriagecoalition.com) today announced that they are coordinating efforts in Ohio, Iowa and North Carolina to talk about the importance of preserving marriage as the union of one man and one woman, and supporting the sanctity of human life. […] Combined efforts will include independent expenditures for radio advertisements, billboards, phone and bus tour events designed to educate and mobilize socially conservative voters in the three targeted states. […] Marjorie Dannenfelser of the Susan B. Anthony List added, ‘We will work together as national groups and partner with local pro-family organizations to make sure that voters know that if we value marriage and want to stop government funding of abortion groups, we must defeat Barack Obama.’” [Life and Marriage Coalition, August 2012]

SBA List Launched “Women Speak Out PAC” In October 2012. According to Susan B. Anthony List press release, “Today the Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) announced the launch of the Women Speak Out PAC, a super PAC aimed at amplifying the voices of women opposed to President Obama and his extreme abortion record. The super PAC’s first expenditure will be a $500,000 television ad buy concentrated in key media markets in Ohio, Virginia, and Florida, featuring spots entitled ‘How will you answer?’ and ‘Abortion Radical.’” [SBA List Press Release, 10/2/12]

SBA List Defended Todd Akin Following His “Legitimate Rape” Comments. According to the Washington Post, “Republican leadership has a not so-subtle-hint for Todd Akin: They would like the Missouri Senate candidate, who remarked that ‘legitimate rape’ rarely results in pregnancy, out of the race — and sooner rather than later. […] Pro-life groups, however, have taken a decidedly different take. Both the Susan B. Anthony List and Family Research Council have stood by Akin. They don’t see him as a politician who has made a career ending gaffe. In their view, he’s a strong abortion right opponent who articulated a tenet of the pro-life movement: Abortion should be illegal in all situations, rape included. ‘Todd Akin … has a record of voting to protect human life,’ said Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser, reaffirming her support in a statement. He ‘has been an excellent partner in the fight for the unborn.’” [Washington Post, 8/21/12]

SBA List Defended Richard Mourdock After He Said Pregnancy From Rape Is “Something God Intended To Happen.” According to USA Today, “Asked whether abortion should be allowed in cases of rape or incest, Mourdock said during Tuesday’s debate, ‘I struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize that life is that gift from God. And, I think, even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen.’ […] The Susan B. Anthony List, a conservative group that opposes abortion rights, restated its support for Mourdock and stressed its own ad campaign highlighting Donnelly’s abortion record. ‘Richard Mourdock said that life is always a gift from God, and we couldn’t agree more,’ said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the SBA List.” [USA Today, 10/24/12]

After Elections, SBA List Announced “Training Program” To Stop Politicians From Making Offensive Statements About Rape. According to Politico, “Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser said the lawmakers are falling for a trap set by proponents of abortion rights who want to focus the debate on extremes such as rape instead of other abortions. ‘It’s a tactic to [force pro-life lawmakers to] talk about this rather than the 98 percent of abortions because they know that they lose it,’ Dannenfelser said. She said that SBA List is working on a new training program for candidates and lawmakers to ‘make sure that in future elections, a candidate can never with a straight face say, ‘I never thought about that or I got caught flat-footed.’’” [Politico, 1/11/13]

Dannenfelser Touted Re-Election Of Reps. Michele Bachmann And Steve King As “Bright Spots” Of 2012 Election. According to remarks by SBA List president Marjorie Dannenfelser, “The SBA List and our pro-life mission certainly had some bright spots last night with the election of a 2nd prolife woman in the Senate, Deb Fischer, as well as the retaining of Michele Bachmann, who was heavily targeted by the left, and the return of Steve King.” A separate press release celebrating Bachmann’s victory called her a “pro-life hero” and “one of the pro-life movement’s most valued and trusted allies.” [Dannenfelser Remarks, 11/7/12; SBA List Press Release, 11/7/12]

Dannenfelser Claimed GOP Lost Because It Refused To Engage On Social Issues. According to remarks by SBA List president Marjorie Dannenfelser, “What we had unfortunately was a de facto truce on social issues on one side, but a full embrace of the war on social issues on the other side. Republicans had the truce, Obama had launched a war over abortion and on the Life issue, therefore he got to completely define what that issue was — and what is it? Rape. Abortion meant rape in the minds of many voters because the debate was not fully engaged. […] You cannot win a war which is not engaged. Your issue cannot be repudiated if no one has ever heard it. And that is exactly what happened on the national level and that is exactly why so many votes were left on the table that should not have been, this cannot happen again.” [Dannenfelser Remarks, 11/7/12]

SBA List Candidates

SBA List Spent Over $1.5 Million In Support Of Mitt Romney And Against President Obama In The 2012 Election. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the Susan B. Anthony List 501(c)(4) spent at least $819,402 against President Obama in the 2012 election. The affiliated Women Speak Out PAC spent another $760,068 targeting Obama. [Center for Responsive Politics, accessed 4/18/13; Center for Responsive Politics, accessed 4/18/13]

Santorum: Rape Victims Should “Make The Best Out Of A Bad Situation” And “Accept What God Has Given You.” According to a transcript from CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight, Rick Santorum stated, “Well, you can make the argument that if she doesn’t have this baby, if she kills her child, that that, too, could ruin her life. And this is not an easy choice. I understand that. As horrible as the way that that son or daughter and son was created, it still is her child. And whether she has that child or doesn’t, it will always be her child. And she will always know that. And so to embrace her and to love her and to support her and get her through this very difficult time, I’ve always, you know, I believe and I think the right approach is to accept this horribly created — in the sense of rape — but nevertheless a gift in a very broken way, the gift of human life, and accept what God has given to you. As you know, we have to, in lots of different aspects of our life. We have horrible things happen. I can’t think of anything more horrible. But, nevertheless, we have to make the best out of a bad situation.” [CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight, 1/20/12]

Santorum: Women In Front-Line Combat Could Create A “Compromising Situation” Because Of “Emotions That Are Involved” And Is “Not In The Best Interest Of Men, Women Or The Mission.” According to The Huffington Post, “Asked by CNN’s John King if the move, ‘perhaps opening the door to a broader role for women in combat,’ was an idea he’d support as president, Santorum responded: ‘I want to create every opportunity for women to be able to serve this country, and they do so in an amazing and wonderful way and they’re a great addition — and they have been for a long time — to the armed services of our country. Then came the big ‘but.’ ‘But I do have concerns about women in front-line combat, I think that could be a very compromising situation, where people naturally may do things that may not be in the interest of the mission, because of other types of emotions that are involved,’ Santorum continued. ‘It already happens, of course, with the camaraderie of men in combat, but I think it would be even more unique if women were in combat, and I think that’s probably not in the best interest of men, women or the mission.’” [Huffington Post, 2/10/12]

Santorum: Isn’t “Defending Marriage” “The Ultimate Homeland Security?” According to the Post-Gazette, “Without suspense but with passion on both sides, the Senate yesterday killed an election-year proposal backed by the White House that would have changed the U.S. Constitution to ban gay marriage. […] A prime sponsor of the proposal, Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., who is the No. 3 GOP leader in the Senate, denied that the proposal paled in significance to the as-yet-unapproved national budget or the war in Iraq. ‘This is a great and extraordinary occasion,’ he said. ‘I would argue that the future of America hangs in the balance, because the future of the family hangs in the balance. Isn’t that the ultimate homeland security, standing up and defending marriage?’” [Post-Gazette, 7/15/04]

Santorum: “No Surprise” That Priest Abuse Scandal Centered In Boston, “A Seat Of … Liberalism.” In a column published in Catholic Online, Santorum wrote, “Like most American Catholics, I have followed the recent sex scandals in the Church with profound sympathy for victims, revulsion over priests who prey on minors and frustration at the absence of hierarchical leadership. […] It is startling that those in the media and academia appear most disturbed by this aberrant behavior, since they have zealously promoted moral relativism by sanctioning ‘private’ moral matters such as alternative lifestyles. Priests, like all of us, are affected by culture. When the culture is sick, every element in it becomes infected. While it is no excuse for this scandal, it is no surprise that Boston, a seat of academic, political and cultural liberalism in America, lies at the center of the storm.” [Catholic Online, 7/12/02]

SBA List Spent Over $100,000 In Support Of George Allen’s 2012 Senate Campaign. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the Susan B. Anthony List 501(c)(4) spent at least $77,916 against Democratic Virginia Senate candidate Tim Kaine, George Allen’s opponent in the 2012 election. The affiliated Women Speak Out PAC spent at least $27,751 more in the race. [Center for Responsive Politics, accessed 4/18/13; Center for Responsive Politics, accessed 4/18/13]

Allen Once Called Tracker Of Indian Descent “Macaca.” According to the Washington Post, “At a campaign rally in southwest Virginia on Friday, Allen repeatedly called a volunteer for Democrat James Webb ‘macaca.’ During the speech in Breaks, near the Kentucky border, Allen began by saying that he was ‘going to run this campaign on positive, constructive ideas’ and then pointed at S.R. Sidarth in the crowd. ‘This fellow here, over here with the yellow shirt, macaca, or whatever his name is. He’s with my opponent. He’s following us around everywhere. And it’s just great,’ Allen said, as his supporters began to laugh. After saying that Webb was raising money in California with a ‘bunch of Hollywood movie moguls,’ Allen said, ‘Let’s give a welcome to macaca, here. Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia.’ Allen then began talking about the ‘war on terror.’ Depending on how it is spelled, the word macaca could mean either a monkey that inhabits the Eastern Hemisphere or a town in South Africa. In some European cultures, macaca is also considered a racial slur against African immigrants, according to several Web sites that track ethnic slurs.” [Washington Post, 8/15/06]

Mourdock: Pregnancy From Rape “Is Something That God Intended To Happen.” According to CBS News, “Mourdock, a Tea Party-backed candidate who beat longtime moderate Senator Richard Lugar in the state’s Republican nominating contest earlier this year, expressed his view that ‘life begins at conception’ and that he would only allow abortions in circumstances in which the mother’s life was in danger. ‘I struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize life is that gift from God,’ Mourdock said. ‘And I think even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen.’” [CBS News, 10/23/12]

Mourdock: “Bipartisanship Ought To Consist Of Democrats Coming To The Republican Point Of View.” According to Politico, “‘I have a mindset that says bipartisanship ought to consist of Democrats coming to the Republican point of view,’ Mourdock said on Fox. ‘You know, I’ve said many times through this campaign that one of the things I hope to do is to help build a conservative majority in the United States Senate and continue to help the House build a Republican majority and have a Republican White House and then bipartisanship becomes having Democrats come our way. So that’s what we’re working towards and I think in the days ahead, Mr. Lugar will join our effort.’” [Politico, 5/9/12]

Fischer Opposes Abortion Even In Cases Of Rape And Incest. According to the Omaha World-Herald, “‘I am pro-life,’ Fischer said. The only exception she approves of is to save the life of the mother. She did not include exceptions for incest or rape.” [Omaha World-Herald, 9/29/12]

Michele Bachmann On The Term “Gay”: “It’s Part Of Satan, I Think, To Say This Is Gay. It’s Anything But Gay.” According to The Atlantic Wire, “Michele Bachmann, whose fear of gay people is well-documented, has divulged in the past that she has a member of her family who is gay, adding that such a lifestyle is ‘not funny. It’s a very sad life. It’s part of Satan, I think, to say this is gay. It’s anything but gay.’ She went on to say that, ‘because if you’re involved in the gay and lesbian lifestyle, it’s bondage. Personal bondage, personal despair, and personal enslavement. And that’s why this is so dangerous.’” [The Atlantic Wire, 7/16/11]

Bachmann Speculated The Health Care Reform Bill Would Establish “Sex Clinics” In Schools That Would Help Teenagers Obtain Abortions Without Parental Consent. According to the Minneapolis Post, “In a speech on the House floor yesterday, Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., claimed that that health-care reform bills would establish school ‘sex clinics,’ which would exclude parents from their children’s health decisions, including abortion. ‘What does that mean?’ Bachmann said. ‘It means that parents will never know what kind of counsel and treatment that their children are receiving. As a matter of fact, the bill goes on to say what’s going to go on — comprehensive primary health services, physicals, treatment of minor acute medical conditions, referrals to follow-up for specialty care.’ ‘Is that abortion?’ Bachmann continued. ‘Does that mean that someone’s 13-year old daughter could walk into a sex clinic, have a pregnancy test done, be taken away to the local Planned Parenthood abortion clinic, have their abortion, be back, and go home on the school bus that night? Mom and dad are never the wiser. They don’t know any different.’” [Minneapolis Post, 10/1/09]

Bachmann: If Gay Marriage Is Legalized “Little Children Will Be Forced To Learn That Homosexuality Is Normal, Natural, And Perhaps They Should Try It.” According to the Center for American Progress Action Fund, Bachmann stated, “This is an earthquake issue. This will change our state forever. Because the immediate consequence, if gay marriage goes through, is that K-12 little children will be forced to learn that homosexuality is normal, natural, and perhaps they should try it.” [Center for American Progress Action Fund, 3/3/11]

Bachmann On Melissa Etheridge’s Battle With Breast Cancer: “This May Be An Opportunity For Her Now To Be Open To Some Spiritual Things. … She Is A Lesbian.” According to Mother Jones, “2004: Songwriter Melissa Etheridge has breast cancer. That’s bad news. But there’s good news too, Bachmann tells the conservative education group EdWatch: maybe the cancer will give her time to reflect on her sinful lifestyle: ‘Unfortunately she is now suffering from breast cancer, so keep her in your prayers. This may be an opportunity for her now to be open to some spiritual things, now that she is suffering with that physical disease. She is a lesbian.’ In the same speech, she alleges that ‘almost all, if not all, individuals who have gone into the lifestyle have been abused at one time in their life, either by a male or by a female.’” [Mother Jones, 6/6/11]

Buerkle Supports Denying Rape Victims Abortion Access Because “We Have To Be Careful Not To Make A Second Victim.” According to the Syracuse Post-Standard, “Akin, who refused to drop out of the Missouri race and was defended by Christian evangelical leaders, stuck to his position that abortion should be illegal even in cases of rape and incest. On that point, Buerkle, R-Onondaga Hill, agrees with the congressman. ‘My position has always been that life is valuable from the time of conception to the time of death,’ Buerkle said. ‘I don’t think as a society we can pick and choose what life is valuable and what is not. All life is precious without exception.’ Buerkle was quick to add that it’s important for society to offer a full range of help to rape victims ‘but we have to be careful not to make a second victim.’” [The Post-Standard, 8/23/12]

Buerkle Served As Spokeswoman For Anti-Choice Organizations And Once Participated In A Protest In Which A Stolen Dead Fetus Was Carried. According to the Syracuse Post-Standard, “Buerkle is the former head of the Syracuse Right-to-Life group and served as the spokeswoman for the anti-abortion groups Friends for Life and Operation Rescue. She was the local spokeswoman for Operation Rescue when the group demonstrated outside of a gynecologist’s office in 1989. In that protest, 44 abortion protesters who blocked the entrance to the office were charged with trespassing. Earlier that year, she was with a group that carried a blackened fetus named ‘Baby Choice’ to a protest at Planned Parenthood in Syracuse, where 14 protesters were arrested.” According to a different Post-Standard article, the fetus “had been stolen from a Midwest pathology lab for use at anti-abortion protests.” [The Post-Standard, 3/29/10; The Post-Standard via Nexis, 7/7/89]

Hartzler “Has Made A Name For Herself As An Anti-Gay Crusader” And Worked To Pass Amendment To Missouri’s Constitution Banning Gay Marriage. According to Mother Jones, “Hartzler, who’s running in Missouri’s 4th Congressional District, opposes gay marriage, hate-crimes laws, and the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ Those positions are common among congressional Republicans. But Hartzler has done more than merely take the standard GOP positions opposing gay rights—she has made a name for herself as an anti-gay crusader. […] In 2004, Hartzler drew national and international attention for her work in the campaign for a constitutional amendment in Missouri to ban gay marriage. The amendment was the first of its kind and passed—by a huge margin—in August of that year.” [Mother Jones, 10/20/10]

Hartzler: “I Have Doubts That [Obama’s Birth Certificate] Is Really His Real Birth Certificate.” According to The Hill, “Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.) said she ‘doubts’ that the birth certificate produced by President Obama is legitimate. ‘I have doubts that it is really his real birth certificate, and I think a lot of Americans do, but they claim it is, so we are just going to go with that,’ Hartzler told the Sedelia Democrat.” [The Hill, 4/9/12]

Hartzler: If We’re Going To Allow Same-Sex Marriage, “Why Not Allow An Uncle To Marry His Niece?Why Not Allow A 50-Year-Old Man To Marry A 12-Year-Old Girl…?” According to Right Wing Watch, during the Eagle Forum Collegians 2011 Summit Hartzler stated, “Some people say, why does it matter to you as a government official? I care about someone else, I’m committed, I should be able to marry. Well, think about it. That starts you down the road to opening up licensure to basically meaning that the license would mean nothing if you let everybody with that standard. For instance, if you just care about somebody and you have a committed relationship, why not allow one man and two women, or three women to marry? There are a lot of people in this country that support polygamy. Why not? If they’re committed to each other, why should you care? Why not allow group marriage? There are people out there who want that. I think it’s called polyamory, it’s got some big name. But anyway, group marriage, I understand. Well, is that the best policy? Why not allow an uncle to marry his niece? Why not allow a 50-year-old man to marry a 12-year-old girl if they love each other and they’re committed? So, pretty soon, if you don’t set parameters, you don’t have any parameters at all, the license means nothing — the marriage means nothing.” [Right Wing Watch, 6/8/11]

Hartzler Supported A Bill That Would Have Allowed Women And Their Doctors To Be Charged With Murder For A Late-Term Abortion. According to Right Wing Watch, “A staunch anti-choice activist, Hartzler supported legislation [as a Missouri state representative] which ‘would have allowed for prosecutors to charge women who obtained late-term abortions with murder’ and ‘also have permitted second-degree murder charges to be filed against doctors who performed such procedures.’ She was also the chief sponsor of a bill that would pressure women seeking an abortion to view their sonograms. Throughout her career in the State House, she consistently received perfect ratings from the right-wing Missouri Family Network.” [Right Wing Watch, 11/12/10]

Ellmers Questioned Whether Insurance Companies Should Have To Provide Maternity Coverage. According to the News & Observer, “In the Clayton interview, Ellmers also questioned whether health insurance companies should have to cover prenatal care and delivery. ‘Maternity coverage – that’s another one. … Should you have to pay for someone else’s [maternity care]? Maybe you’ve decided you’ve had your children, or maybe we have a 35-year-old female who’s had a hysterectomy. Should she have to pay maternity coverage? Maternity coverage is very costly,’ Ellmers said to the paper.” [News & Observer, 9/30/10]

Ellmers Opposes Abortion Access Even In Cases Of Rape And Incest. According to the Courier-Tribune, “Ellmers said, in her personal belief as a Catholic and a nurse, she does not support abortion in any case, including those involving rape and incest.” [The Courier-Tribune, 8/21/12]

Ellmers Campaign Ad Referred To New York Islamic Center As “Victory Mosque.” According to Right Wing Watch, “She also launched an ugly and bigoted campaign ad equating all Muslims with the 9/11 terrorists, arguing that the planned Islamic Community Center in Lower Manhattan is a ‘victory mosque’ and a symbol of Muslim conquest: Narrator: ‘After the Muslims conquered Jerusalem, and Cordoba and Constantinople, they built victory mosques. And now, they want to build a mosque near Ground Zero. Where does Bob Etheridge stand? He won’t say, won’t speak out, won’t take a stand.’” [Right Wing Watch, 11/17/10]

Foxx: Real Misogyny Is That “50 Percent Of The Unborn Babies That Are Being Aborted Are Females.” According to The Maddow Blog, “Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-North Carolina) explained today why House Republicans’ Protect Life Act is not misogynist” by stating, “And for my colleagues across the aisle who say this is a misogynist bill, nobody has ever fought more for the rights of women than I have. But 50 percent of the unborn babies that are being aborted are females, so the misogyny comes for those who promote the killing of unborn babies. That’s where the misogyny comes in, Madam Speaker.” [The Maddow Blog, 10/13/11]

Foxx Called Matthew Shepard Murder “A Hoax.” According to the Huffington Post, “As the House of Representatives debates an expansion of hate crimes legislation, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) has taken the rhetoric to a new level, claiming that those who say Matthew Shepard was murdered in Wyoming for being gay are perpetrating a ‘hoax’ on the American people. ‘I also would like to point out that there was a bill — the hate crimes bill that’s called the Matthew Shepard bill is named after a very unfortunate incident that happened where a young man was killed, but we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of a robbery. It wasn’t because he was gay. This — the bill was named for him, hate crimes bill was named for him, but it’s really a hoax that that continues to be used as an excuse for passing these bills,’ said Foxx.” [Huffington Post, 5/30/06]

Foxx: “We Have More To Fear” From Passing Health Care Reform Than “From Any Terrorist Right Now In Any Country.” According to The Hill, “‘I believe that the greatest fear that we all should have to our freedom comes from this room — this very room — and what may happen later this week in terms of a tax increase bill masquerading as a health care bill,’ Foxx said this afternoon. ‘I believe we have more to fear from the potential of that bill passing than we do from any terrorist right now in any country,’ she added.” [The Hill, 11/2/09]

Foxx On Gay Marriage: Ban “Illegitimate Marriages” Because “We Cannot Turn A Blind Eye To TheSocial Trends That Are Doing The Most Damage To America’s Children.” According to a transcript of Foxx’s floor speech in support of a “Marriage Protection Amendment,” “It is the right time to discuss a marriage protection amendment. As Members of this Congress, we have a responsibility to look at this critical situation for marriage and the real possibility that the courts are going to redefine marriage. This constitutional amendment would concretely define marriage as we always have: as the union between one man and one woman. The disintegration of the family is the force behind so many of our most serious social problems. We cannot turn a blind eye to the social trends that are doing the most damage to America’s children. The health of American families is built upon marriage, and it affects us all. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and other local courts have ruled in favor of same-sex marriages. These unsound decisions set a dangerous precedent, and that is why a constitutional amendment is necessary. If enacted, it will effectively ban these illegitimate marriages nationwide.” [Foxx Remarks via Congressional Record, 7/18/06]

King: Planned Parenthood Is Aggressively Promoting “Gruesome” “Abortion By Video Conference … In The Name Of Increased Profits.” According to a press release by King, “‘Planned Parenthood’s ulterior motives must be made known,’ said King. ‘Their aggressive promotion of the gruesome practice of abortion by video conference is expanding the destructive ‘abortion on demand’ culture in America- all in the name of increased profits. Telemed abortions, without the overhead costs of a surgical abortion, allow Planned Parenthood to make even more money while preying on young women and violating FDA regulations. Eight percent of women who take the abortion drug known as RU-486 require surgical intervention to complete their abortion. This new practice leaves those women at grave risk, and should never be supported with taxpayer dollars. Telemed abortions threaten and endanger women and we should not allow Planned Parenthood to maximize their profits. We cannot let this practice continue.’” [Steve King Press Release, accessed 4/19/13]

King Said He Was Not Aware Of Any Cases In Which A Young Victim Might Become Pregnant Through Rape Or Incest: “I Just Haven’t Heard Of That Being A Circumstance.” According to the Siouxland News, “Right now, Medicaid … covers abortions for victims of statutory rape or incest – for example, a 12 year old who gets pregnant. Congressman King says he’s not aware of any young victims like that. ‘Well I just haven’t heard of that being a circumstance that’s been brought to me in any personal way, and I’d be open to discussion about that subject matter,’ he said.” [Siouxland News, 8/20/12]

King: It’s “Not Against The Law” To Rape A Teenager And Then Force Her To Get An Abortion. According to Salon, King justified his opposition to legislation against dogfighting by saying, “What I’ve said is we need to respect humans more than we do animals. Whenever we start to elevate animals above humans, we’ve crossed a moral line. For example, when there’s a sexual predator out there, who has impregnated a young girl, say a 13-year-old girl — and it happens in America more times than you or I would like to think — that sexual predator can take that girl off the playground of a middle school, and haul her across a state line, and force her to get an abortion to eradicate the evidence of his crime, and bring her back and drop her off at the swing set. And that’s not against the law in the United States… We need to respect and revere human life first, and then animal life second. That is my stand and it’s a moral stand. It’s certainly not a stand in favor of animal fighting, and there is no record that would say that either.” [Salon, 8/3/12]

Berg Supported A Bill That Would Punish Women, Including Rape Victims, Who Get An Abortion With Life In Prison. According to a BuzzFeed article titled “North Dakota Senate Candidate Voted To Make Abortion In Case Of Rape, Incest, Carry Life Sentence,” “Rick Berg, North Dakota’s at-large congressman and a candidate for Senate, voted to criminalize abortion in the state as a Class AA felony, including in the case of rape or incest. Berg, who is running against former Democratic Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp, voted with a minority of the state house in 2007 to make terminating a pregnancy illegal, in a bill that only made exception for when the life of the mother is endangered.” [BuzzFeed, 9/3/12]

Berg Cosponsored A Bill That Would Allow Employers To Deny Employees Coverage Of Any Health Care Service, Including Birth Control, For Conscience Reasons. According to the Washington Post, “The Senate Thursday rejected an effort to vastly expand conscience exemptions to the Obama administration’s new birth control coverage rule, even as Republican presidential contenders continued to tussle over the issue. The measure, an amendment proposed by Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) to a highway funding bill, would have allowed not only religious groups but any employer with moral objections to opt out of the coverage requirement. And it would have allowed such employers to do so in the case of not only contraception but any health service required by the 2010 health-care law.” Berg cosponsored the House version of the bill. [Washington Post, 3/1/12; Library of Congress, accessed 4/22/13]

Berg Shot Down A Bill That Would Have Prohibited North Dakota Insurance Companies From Using Domestic Violence Victimhood As A Preexisting Condition. According to the Associated Press, “It says North Dakota is one of nine states that allow insurance companies to turn down health coverage for women who have been beaten because they have a pre-existing condition. […] In 1995, North Dakota House Republicans turned down a bill to prevent insurers from denying coverage because a customer was a domestic violence victim. Rutland Rep. Pam Gulleson sponsored the bill then, and she says she was surprised at the reaction. Fargo Rep. Rick Berg was chairman of the committee that heard the bill then. He says its supporters didn’t have any examples of battered women being denied coverage.” [Associated Press via Nexis, 9/24/09]

Long: “This Whole Phony War-On-Women Thing That The Democrats Are Cooking Up … Is Just A Huge Invention.” According to the New York Times, “‘This whole phony war-on-women thing that the Democrats are cooking up in this election cycle is just a huge invention and overreach and distraction from what people really care about,’ she said. ‘I might have an easier time fighting that battle than my male opponents — that’s what people say.’” [New York Times, 6/14/12]

Long Opposes Abortion In Cases Of Rape And Incest. According to the New York Times, “A Catholic, Ms. Long describes herself as ‘100 percent pro-life.’ She doesn’t make exceptions for rape or incest, she told me.” [New York Times, 8/26/12]

Long “Said She Would Refuse To Attend A Same-Sex Wedding On Principle.” According to the New York Times, “In a lightning round of questions, Ms. Long said she would refuse to attend a same-sex wedding on principle.” [New York Times, 6/18/12]

Long Compared Same-Sex Marriage To Marrying Your Pet Or Your Parents. According to the Huffington Post, “A Republican U.S. Senate candidate in New York defended her past legal analysis that declared gay marriage could lead to legalizing nuptials with someone’s parents or pets by saying she would have liked to marry her severely ill mother. Wendy Long, one of three Republicans seeking the right to challenge U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D), said on Capitol Tonight that a past legal analysis she did that said gay marriage would lead to parent and pet marriage was just an analysis, not an expression of support for such things. She said that by not defining marriage as between a man and a woman, other types of marriages could be supported. Long then pointed to a moment in her own life when she would have been interested in marrying her mom. […] She continued, ‘The rationale — and it’s not to cast any aspersions or to discredit my mother or the dog — it’s simply saying there are no principle distinctions. There’s no principle distinction to why you and I and five other people can’t get married, if we wanted to form a commune and say we are married.’” [Huffington Post, 5/29/12]

Long Was A Founding Member Of Anti-Affirmative Action Dartmouth Student Paper That Published A List Of Members Of Gay Students Association. According to City & State NY, “The Dartmouth Review was founded in 1980 by students disenchanted with the college’s support of co-education, affirmative action and 1960’s liberalism. Long was a member of the inaugural staff, along with future conservative luminary Dinesh D’Souza. She graduated in 1982, but continued to serve the newspaper as a member of its board of trustees. The paper quickly earned a reputation for sharp-elbowed conservatism, a combative attitude and a reputation for mischief. During its first year, the Review sponsored a free lobster-and-champagne feast to coincide with a campus fast for the world’s hungry. It published a list of members in the school’s Gay Students Association, and allegedly sent letters to the students’ parents about their children’s lifestyle. In 1982, it ran a column in ‘black English’ suggesting African-American students were illiterate. Yet no controversy echoed as loudly as when it ran a quotation from Adolf Hitler on Yom Kippur. In October 1990, the Hanover, N.H.-based college erupted after the Review included the quote from Hitler’s biography Mein Kampf in its masthead on the first day of the Jewish day of atonement. The quote included the sentence, ‘By warding off the Jews, I am fighting for the Lord’s work.’ Hundreds of students turned out the following week to protest the paper. And when it came time for the Review to issue an apology, it turned to trustee Wendy Long. Long – then known by her maiden name Wendy Stone – appeared at a combative press conference with fellow trustee D’Souza to address the incident. Long and D’Souza apologized, but ultimately blamed it on ‘a criminal act of sabotage.’ A follow-up investigation by the Anti-Defamation League concluded the quote was the work one or more staffers at the Review. Investigators deemed it ‘unquestionably an anti-Semitic act.’ Long was not involved in the editorial department at the time. Several staff and board members resigned after the incident.” [City & State NY, 3/12/12]

Support For Extreme Anti-Choice Policies

All descriptions of bills from NARAL Pro-Choice America

Health Care Conscience Rights Act. An “Action Alert” from Susan B. Anthony List urges, “Tell your Representative to co-sponsor and enact H.R. 940, the Health Care Conscience Rights Act.” This law would gut the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive coverage policy by allowing employers or insurers to refuse to cover virtually any essential health benefit required by the law for almost any reason. It would allow individuals to refuse to purchase health insurance that includes such contraceptive coverage; it would create a private right of action for medical professionals who experience adverse employment actions as a consequence of not providing needed services; and it would permanently codify the Federal Refusal Law (also known as the Weldon amendment), which is an annual appropriations rider that allows corporations, including hospitals and insurance companies, to refuse to provide, pay for, or refer for abortion care. [Susan B. Anthony List, accessed 5/9/13; NARAL]

Protect Life Act. In 2011, Susan B. Anthony List listed H.R. 5111, the Protect Life Act, among “the newest and most promising of pro-life legislative approaches here on Capitol Hill.” The Protect Life Act would have imposed the Stupak-Pitts amendment on the new health care system under the Affordable Care Act, making it virtually impossible for insurance companies in state health insurance exchanges to offer abortion coverage, even to women paying entirely with their own money. It would also forbid abortion coverage for millions of middle- and low-income women who will receive partial subsidies to purchase insurance, allow hospitals to refuse to provide life-saving abortion care to women who face imminent threat of death, and give states the ability to attack coverage of non-abortion related services, such as contraception. [SBA-List.org via Archive.org, captured 3/13/11; NARAL]

Human Life Amendment. In 2007, Susan B. Anthony List named a Human Life Amendment among the legislation in which it was interested. A Human Life Amendment would amend the Constitution with the effect of ending legal abortion, banning several of the most common forms of birth control, restricting fertility treatments, and putting an end to stem-cell research. SBA List has also supported several bills – the Sanctity of Life Act of 2011 and the Life at Conception Act – with very similar effects. [SBA-List.org via Archive.org, captured 8/3/07; NARAL; SBA-List.org via Archive.org, captured 8/17/11]

No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. In 2011, Susan B. Anthony List listed H.R. 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, among “the newest and most promising of pro-life legislative approaches here on Capitol Hill.” The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act would impose the core provision of the failed Stupak-Pitts amendment on the new health care system under the Affordable Care Act. It would deny tax credits to any small business that provides comprehensive abortion coverage to its employees; permanently block low-income women, civil servants, and military women from accessing this medical care, even when their health is at risk; and jeopardize the availability of abortion coverage nationwide. [SBA-List.org via Archive.org, captured 4/23/11; NARAL]

Mexico City Policy. Susan B. Anthony List issued a press release in support of the Mexico City Policy. Also known as the Global Gag Rule, the Mexico City Policy prohibits USAID from granting family planning funds to any overseas health center unless the center agrees not to use its own, private, non-U.S. funds for: (1) abortion services, (2) abortion-related advocacy, or (3) abortion counseling or referrals. The policy effectively blocks funds from organizations that provide family planning services, as well as other critical health services, to some of the poorest women in the world. [SBA-List.org via Archive.org, 5/26/01; NARAL]

Abortion Non-Discrimination Act. Susan B. Anthony List supported the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act, which would allow any health-care organization (like hospitals, HMOs, or insurance companies) to exempt itself from any federal, state, or local law or regulation that assures women have access to abortion services and information. [SBA-List.org via Archive.org, captured 10/3/02; NARAL]

Prevention First Act. Susan B. Anthony List opposed the Prevention First Act, calling it part of an “anti-life agenda.” The Prevention First Act would have increased funding for Title X, ended insurance discrimination against women, ensured emergency contraception in the emergency room upon request, improved awareness about emergency contraception, and increased funding for teen-pregnancy prevention programs and sex education. [SBA-List.org via Archive.org, captured 10/1/09; NARAL]

D.C. Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. An “Action Alert” from the Susan B. Anthony List urges, “Take just a moment to urge your Representative to vote YES on the D.C. Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.” Under the auspices of concern about fetal pain, this bill would single out the District of Columbia for an outright ban on abortion care after 20 weeks, with no exceptions to protect the woman’s health. [Susan B. Anthony List, accessed 4/30/13; NARAL]

Funding

The Susan B. Anthony List Received Over $1 Million From Secretive Conservative Funder Center To Protect Patient Rights. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, “A secretive, well-funded group whose name gives the misleading impression that it is solely concerned about health care gave more than $44 million in 2010 to other tax-exempt groups, many of which spent millions on TV ads attacking Democrats running for the House and Senate and have begun spending for the same purpose this year. […] According to its own 2010 tax return, which was filed last November, [CPPR] is run by Sean Noble, who is listed as its director, president and executive director. […] [I]n a piece last year, Politico described Noble as a ‘Koch operative,’ referring to the wealthy conservative brothers from Koch Industries who have been instrumental in funding a conservative network of groups.” Susan B. Anthony List received a grant of $1,025,000 from the Center to Protect Patient Rights in 2010. [Center for Responsive Politics, 5/18/12]

SBA List Received $200,000 From The Knights Of Columbus. Knights of Columbus gave Susan B. Anthony List a $100,000 grant in 2004 and a $100,000 grant in 2006. [Knights of Columbus’ IRS Form 990, 2004-2006]

SBA List Received $1,500 From Family Research Council Action. Family Research Council Action gave Susan B. Anthony List a $1,000 grant in 2008 and a $500 grant in 2007. [Family Research Council Action IRS Forms 990, 2007-2008]

SBA List’s PAC Received $1,000 From Heritage Foundation Vice President. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Susan B. Anthony List’s PAC received a $1,000 contribution from Becky Norton Dunlop in 2012. Dunlop is vice president for external relations at the Heritage Foundation. [Center for Responsive Politics, accessed 4/18/13; Heritage.org, accessed 4/18/13]

SBA List’s PAC Received $5,000 From Citizens United President David Bossie. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Susan B. Anthony List’s PAC received a $5,000 contribution from David N. Bossie in 2012. Bossie is president of Citizens United. [Center for Responsive Politics, accessed 4/18/13; CitizensUnited.org, accessed 4/18/13]

Women Speak Out PAC Received $200,000 From Major Club For Growth Funder Virginia James. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Susan B. Anthony List’s Women Speak Out PAC received $200,000 from Virginia James of Lambertville, NJ in 2012. According to Politico, “The conservative super PAC Club for Growth Action raked in $1.5 million in January, fueling its efforts to hammer GOP candidates the group views as too moderate. The bulk of the group’s January cash haul came from a $1 million check from Virginia James, a self-employed investor in Lambertville, N.J., according to documents filed Monday with the Federal Election Commission. James is listed as a member of the Club for Growth’s leadership council on the organization’s website. She is also a longtime contributor to Republican candidates and conservative causes, according to donor data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.” [Center for Responsive Politics, accessed 4/22/13; Politico, 2/20/12]

Women Speak Out PAC Received $75,000 From Chiaroscuro Foundation’s Sean Fieler. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Susan B. Anthony List’s Women Speak Out PAC received $75,000 from Sean Fieler of the Chiaroscuro Foundation in 2012. According to a PRWeb news release, “Sean Fieler has been appointed as an advisor to TheGoldStandardNow.org, a project of The Lehrman Institute. […] TheGoldStandardNow.org is a website that provides information about the classical gold standard. […] Mr. Fieler is chairman of the American Principles Project, a nonprofit group whose mission includes advancing public and policymaker understanding of the gold standard.” [Center for Responsive Politics, accessed 4/22/13; PRWeb.com, 3/4/11]

Women Speak Out PAC Received $25,000 From Harold Simmons. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Susan B. Anthony List’s Women Speak Out PAC received $25,000 from Harold Simmons in 2012. [Center for Responsive Politics, accessed 4/22/13]

Controversy Over Susan B. Anthony’s Legacy

Head Of Susan B. Anthony Museum: “Inappropriate” To Ascribe Modern Views To Anthony, Who “Never Advocated For The Criminalization Of Abortion.” According to Deborah Hughes, the president and CEO of the National Susan B. Anthony Museum and House, “They assert that many of the 19th-century feminists were — to use their phrase ‘pro-life,’ and that they are telling that story. It’s our opinion that it’s inappropriate to assume that Susan B. Anthony was pro-life or pro-choice, because those are phrases from our century that are loaded rhetoric and don’t really acknowledge the tremendous changes and shifts — around medicine, around reproductive justice and even around what people think those terms mean today. We do know that she never advocated for the criminalization of abortion, which was actually was a topic of discussion in the late 19th century.” [Moyers & Company, 9/21/12]

Head Of Susan B. Anthony Museum: Famous “Child Murder” Quote “Taken Way Out Of Context.” According to Deborah Hughes, the president and CEO of the National Susan B. Anthony Museum and House, “There’s a quote people refer to from a magazine that Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton published together in the late 1860s and early ‘70s, called The Revolution. One of the most common quotes used is ‘I deplore the … crime of child murder.’ But if you read the quote in its context, it’s talking about a prior editorial that was for the criminalization of abortion, and this article is essentially a rebuttal. It’s actually making the point that we need to look at all the reasons why a woman might choose to have an abortion — economic reasons, health reasons, pressure from family or society, fear about her ability to take care of the child — and says we shouldn’t criminalize the practice of abortion because that is, the article says, ‘mowing off the top of the noxious weed, while the root remains.’ So first of all, that quote has been taken way out of context. But secondly, that editorial is signed with the initial ‘A,’ and there’s no evidence that Susan B. Anthony ever signed anything that way. She tended to use her whole name. She did publish it; it was in her journal, but we don’t think that it’s necessarily true that Susan B. Anthony wrote that.” [Moyers & Company, 9/21/12]

Susan B. Anthony Biographer Said She Was “Furious” Over The Use Of Anthony’s Name To Oppose Abortion Rights. According to the Dallas Morning News, “If you were guessing, the Susan B. Anthony List might be a roll call of feminist pioneers or a recipe for a women’s revolution. Indeed, the creators of the list might accept both those descriptions. But the purpose of the Susan B. Anthony List is to help elect women opposed to abortion to public office nationwide. And the news that her name is being so used has angered and astounded some feminists and Anthony scholars. ‘You’re kidding,’ said Ernestine Glossbrenner of Alice, president of the Texas Women’s Political Caucus. ‘Oh, no, don’t tell me. Oh, God,’ said Kathleen Barry, a sociologist at Pennsylvania State University, who wrote a major biography of Ms. Anthony after an exhaustive eight-year study. ‘I’m so furious about this.’” [Dallas Morning News, 9/22/94]

Susan B. Anthony Biographer Accused SBA List Of Taking Quotes “Out Of Context.” According to the Dallas Morning News, “’This is ridiculous,’ [Penn State sociologist and Anthony biographer Kathleen Barry] said. When Anthony was alive, she said, standards of medical care for women were so brutal that it would have been irresponsible to recommend abortion. The early feminist leader ‘was already clearly against women being saddled with many children,’ she said. ‘I think if Susan B. Anthony were here today, and looked at the (medical) technology, she would say, ‘This is safe.’ . . . She would basically say that, if any woman chooses to safely end a pregnancy, she should have the right to do that.’ Professor Barry said she has seen ‘some of the hate literature from some of these anti-women groups referring to Susan B. Anthony.’ The quotes, she said, ‘are taken totally out of context.’” [Dallas Morning News, 9/22/94]